VOIRE mais, on me dira, que ce dessein de se seruir de soy, pour subject à escrire, seroit excusable à des hommes rares et fameux, qui par leur reputation auroyent donné quelque desir de leur cognoissance. Il est certain, ie l’adoüe, et sçay bien que pour voir vn homme de la commune façon, à peine qu’vn artisan leue les yeux de sa besongne: là où pour voir vn personnage grand et signalé, arriuer en vne ville, les ouuroirs et les boutiques s’abandonnent. Il messiet à tout autre de se faire cognoistre, qu’à celuy qui a dequoy se faire imiter; et duquel la vie et les opinions peuuent seruir de patron.
Yes, but someone will tell me that this plan of using oneself as a subject to write about would be excusable in rare and famous men, who by their reputation had given people some desire to know them. That is certain, I admit; and I know very well that to see a man of the common sort, an artisan will hardly raise his eyes from his work, whereas to see a great and distinguished personage arrive in a town, workshops and stores are left empty. It ill becomes anyone to make himself known except one who has something worth imitating, and whose life and opinions can serve as a model.
Cæsar et Xenophon ont eu dequoy fonder et fermir leur narration, en la grandeur de leurs faicts, comme en vne baze iuste et solide. Ainsi sont à souhaiter les papiers iournaux du grand Alexandre, les Commentaires qu’Auguste, Caton, Sylla, Brutus, et autres auoyent laissé de leurs gestes. De telles gens, on ayme et estudie les figures, en cuyure mesmes et en pierre.
Caesar and Xenophon had something on which to found and fix their narrative in the greatness of their deeds, as on a just and solid base. So too one could wish for the journals of Alexander the Great, and the Commentaries that Augustus, Cato, Sulla, Brutus and others had left of their exploits. The likenesses of such men we love and study, even in copper and in stone.
Cette remontrance est tres-vraye; mais elle ne me touche que bien peu. Non recito cuiquam, nisi amicis, idque rogatus. / Non vbiuis, corámve quibuslibet. In medio qui / Scripta foro recitent sunt multi, quique lauantes. Ie ne dresse pas icy vne statue à planter au carrefour d’vne ville, ou dans vne eglise, ou place publique: Non equidem hoc studeo bullatis vt mihi nugis / Pagina turgescat: / Secreti loquimur. C’est pour le coin d’vne librairie, et pour en amuser vn voisin, vn parent, vn amy qui aura plaisir à me racointer et repratiquer en cett’ image.
This remonstrance is very true; but it touches me only very little. I recite to no one but my friends, and then only when asked; / not everywhere, or before just anyone. There are many who / recite their writings in the middle of the forum, and in the baths. I am not setting up a statue here to be planted at a city crossroads, or in a church or public square. Indeed, this is not my aim, that my page should swell / with bubbling trifles: / we are talking in private. It is for a corner of a library, and to amuse a neighbor, a relative, a friend, who will take pleasure in renewing acquaintance and familiarity with me in this image.
Les autres ont pris cœur de parler d’eux, pour y auoir trouué le subject digne et riche; moy au rebours, pour l’auoir trouué si sterile et si maigre, qu’il n’y peut eschoir soupçon d’ostentation. Ie iuge volontiers des actions d’autruy: des miennes, ie donne peu à iuger, à cause de leur nihilité. Ie ne trouue pas tant de bien en moy, que ie ne le puisse dire sans rougir. Quel contentement me seroit-ce d’ouyr ainsi quelqu’vn, qui me recitast les mœurs, le visage, la contenance, les plus communes parolles, et les fortunes de mes ancestres, combien i’y serois attentif. Vrayement cela partiroit d’vne mauuaise nature, d’auoir à mespris les portraits mesmes de noz amis et predecesseurs, la forme de leurs vestements, et de leurs armes.
Others have taken heart to speak of themselves because they found the subject worthy and rich; I, on the contrary, because I found it so barren and so meager that no suspicion of ostentation can fall on it. I readily judge the actions of others; of my own I give little to judge, because of their nothingness. I do not find so much good in myself that I cannot tell it without blushing. What satisfaction it would be to me to hear someone tell me, in this way, of the habits, the face, the bearing, the most commonplace words and the fortunes of my ancestors! How attentive I would be! Truly it would come from a bad nature to despise even the portraits of our friends and forebears, the cut of their clothes and of their armor.
I’en conserue l’escriture, le seing et vne espée peculiere: et n’ay point chassé de mon cabinet, des longues gaules, que mon pere portoit ordinairement en la main. Paterna vestis et annulus, tanto charior est posteris, quanto ergo parentes maior affectus. Si toutefois ma posterité est d’autre appetit, i’auray bien dequoy me reuencher: car ils ne sçauroyent faire moins de comte de moy, que i’en feray d’eux en ce temps là. Tout le commerce que i’ay en cecy auec le publicq, c’est que i’emprunte les vtils de son escriture, plus soudaine et plus aisée. En recompense, i’empescheray peut estre, que quelque coin de beurre ne se fonde au marché. Ne toga cordyllis, ne penula desit oliuis, / Et laxas scombris sæpe dabo tunicas.
I keep their handwriting, their signature, and a sword that was peculiar to them; and I have not banished from my study the long canes my father usually carried in his hand. A father’s coat and ring are dearer to his descendants the greater their affection for their parent. If, however, my posterity has other tastes, I shall have the means to get my revenge: for they could not think less of me than I shall think of them at that time. All the dealings I have with the public in this are that I borrow the tools of its writing, which are quicker and easier. In return, I shall perhaps prevent some pat of butter from melting in the market. So that young tunny may not lack a toga, nor olives a cloak, / and I shall often supply loose tunics for mackerel.
The book that made me
Even if no one reads it, writing the book has shaped its author and helped him know himself.
Et quand personne ne me lira, ay-ie perdu mon temps, de m’estre entretenu tant d’heures oisiues, à pensements si vtiles et aggreables? Moulant sur moy cette figure, il m’a fallu si souuent me testonner et composer, pour m’extraire, que le patron s’en est fermy, et aucunement formé soy-mesme. Me peignant pour autruy, ie me suis peint en moy, de couleurs plus nettes, que n’estoyent les miennes premieres. Ie n’ay pas plus faict mon liure, que mon liure m’a faict. Liure consubstantiel à son autheur: d’vne occupation propre: membre de ma vie: non d’vne occupation et fin, tierce et estrangere, comme tous autres liures. Ay-ie perdu mon temps, de m’estre rendu compte de moy, si continuellement, si curieusement?
And if no one reads me, have I wasted my time in entertaining myself for so many idle hours with such useful and agreeable thoughts? In molding this figure on myself, I have had to groom and compose myself so often to bring myself out that the model itself has grown firmer and in some sort taken shape. Painting myself for others, I have painted myself within, in clearer colors than my original ones were. I have no more made my book than my book has made me—a book consubstantial with its author, with no business but its own, a member of my life; not with some third-party, alien business and purpose, like all other books. Have I wasted my time in taking stock of myself so continually, so carefully?
Car ceux qui se repassent par fantasie seulement, et par langue, quelque heure, ne s’examinent pas si primement, ny ne se penetrent, comme celuy, qui en fait son estude, son ouurage, et son mestier: qui s’engage à vn registre de durée, de toute sa foy, de toute sa force. Les plus delicieux plaisirs, si se digerent ils au dedans: fuyent à laisser trace de soy: et fuyent la veuë, non seulement du peuple, mais d’vn autre. Combien de fois m’a cette besongne diuerty de cogitations ennuieuses? Et doiuent estre comptées pour ennuyeuses toutes les friuoles.
For those who go over themselves only in thought and in speech, for an hour or so, do not examine themselves so thoroughly, nor penetrate themselves, as one who makes it his study, his work and his trade, who binds himself to a lasting record with all his faith and all his strength. The most delicious pleasures, even so, are digested inwardly; they avoid leaving any trace of themselves, and avoid the sight not only of the public but of any other person. How many times has this task diverted me from troublesome thoughts! And all frivolous thoughts should be counted as troublesome.
Nature nous a estrenez d’vne large faculté à nous entretenir à part: et nous y appelle souuent, pour nous apprendre, que nous nous deuons en partie à la societé, mais en la meilleure partie, à nous. Aux fins de renger ma fantasie, à resuer mesme, par quelque ordre et proiect, et la garder de se perdre et extrauaguer au vent, il n’est que de donner corps, et mettre en registre, tant de menues pensées, qui se presentent à elle. I’escoutte à mes resueries, par ce que i’ay à les enroller. Quantes-fois, estant marry de quelque action, que la ciuilité et la raison me prohiboient de reprendre à descouuert, m’en suis-ie icy desgorgé, non sans dessein de publique instruction!
Nature has endowed us with a broad faculty for keeping our own company apart, and often calls us to it, to teach us that we owe ourselves in part to society, but for the better part to ourselves. In order to train my fancy to dream, even, with some order and purpose, and to keep it from losing itself and wandering off in the wind, there is nothing like giving body to and putting on record all the little thoughts that present themselves to it. I listen to my reveries because I have to enroll them. How many times, annoyed by some action that civility and reason forbade me to reprove openly, have I unburdened myself of it here—not without an eye to public instruction!
Et si ces verges poëtiques: Zon sus l’œil, zon sur le groin, / Zon sur le dos du Sagoin, s’impriment encore mieux en papier, qu’en la chair viue. Quoy si ie preste vn peu plus attentiuement l’oreille aux liures, depuis que ie guette, si i’en pourray friponner quelque chose dequoy esmailler ou estayer le mien? Ie n’ay aucunement estudié pour faire vn liure: mais i’ay aucunement estudié, pour ce que ie l’auoy faict: si c’est aucunement estudier, qu’effleurer et pincer, par la teste, ou par les pieds, tantost vn autheur, tantost vn autre: nullement pour former mes opinions: ouï, pour les assister, pieça formées, seconder et seruir.
And indeed these poetic lashes, Whack on the eye, whack on the snout, / whack on the back of the Monkey, stamp themselves even better on paper than on living flesh. What if I lend my ear a little more attentively to books, now that I am watching to see whether I can filch something from them to enamel or prop up my own? I have not studied in the least in order to make a book; but I have studied in some measure because I had made it—if it is studying in any measure to skim and pinch, by the head or by the feet, now one author, now another; in no way to form my opinions; yes, to assist them, long since formed, to second and serve them.
Lying and giving the lie
Truth is banished from the age; being called a liar is the worst insult because lying is cowardly.
Mais à qui croirons nous parlant de soy, en vne saison si gastée? veu qu’il en est peu, ou point, à qui nous puissions croire parlants d’autruy, où il y a moins d’interest à mentir. Le premier traict de la corruption des mœurs, c’est le bannissement de la verité; car comme disoit Pindare, l’estre veritable, est le commencement d’vne grande vertu, et le premier article que Platon demande au gouuerneur de sa republique. Nostre verité de maintenant, ce n’est pas ce qui est, mais ce qui se persuade à autruy: comme nous appellons monnoye, non celle qui est loyalle seulement, mais la fauce aussi, qui a mise. Nostre nation est de long temps reprochée de ce vice.
But whom shall we believe when he speaks of himself, in so corrupt an age, seeing that there are few or none whom we can believe when they speak of others, where there is less to gain by lying? The first sign of the corruption of morals is the banishment of truth; for, as Pindar said, being truthful is the beginning of a great virtue, and it is the first article that Plato requires of the governor of his republic. Our truth nowadays is not what is, but what others can be persuaded of—just as we call money not only the genuine coin but also the counterfeit that passes current. Our nation has long been reproached with this vice.
Car Saluianus Massiliensis, qui estoit du temps de l’Empereur Valentinian, dit qu’aux François le mentir et se pariurer n’est pas vice, mais vne façon de parler. Qui voudroit encherir sur ce tesmoignage, il pourroit dire que ce leur est à present vertu. On s’y forme, on s’y façonne, comme à vn exercice d’honneur: car la dissimulation est des plus notables qualitez de ce siecle.
For Salvian of Marseille, who lived in the time of the Emperor Valentinian, says that for the French, lying and perjuring themselves is not a vice but a manner of speaking. Anyone who wanted to go one better than this testimony could say that for them it is now a virtue. People train themselves in it, shape themselves to it, as to an honorable exercise; for dissimulation is among the most notable qualities of this age.
Ainsi i’ay souuent consideré d’où pouuoit naistre cette coustume, que nous obseruons si religieusement, de nous sentir plus aigrement offencez du reproche de ce vice, qui nous est si ordinaire, que de nul autre: et que ce soit l’extreme iniure qu’on nous puisse faire de parolle, que de nous reprocher la mensonge. Sur cela, ie treuue qu’il est naturel, de se deffendre le plus, des deffaux, dequoy nous sommes le plus entachez. Il semble qu’en nous ressentans de l’accusation, et nous en esmouuans, nous nous deschargeons aucunement de la coulpe: si nous l’auons par effect, aumoins nous la condamnons par apparence. Seroit-ce pas aussi, que ce reproche semble enuelopper la couardise et lascheté de cœur?
So I have often wondered where this custom could spring from, which we observe so religiously, of feeling more bitterly offended at being reproached with this vice, so ordinary among us, than with any other; so that to reproach us with lying is the worst insult that can be done to us in words. On this I find that it is natural to defend ourselves most against the faults with which we are most tainted. It seems that by resenting the accusation and getting worked up about it, we unburden ourselves somewhat of the guilt: if we have it in fact, at least we condemn it in appearance. Might it not also be that this reproach seems to imply cowardice and faintness of heart?
En est-il de plus expresse, que se desdire de sa parolle? quoy se desdire de sa propre science? C’est vn vilain vice, que le mentir; et qu’vn ancien peint bien honteusement, quand il dit, que c’est donner tesmoignage de mespriser Dieu, et quand et quand de craindre les hommes. Il n’est pas possible d’en representer plus richement l’horreur, la vilité, et le desreglement. Car que peut on imaginer plus vilain, que d’estre couart à l’endroit des hommes, et braue à l’endroit de Dieu? Nostre intelligence se conduisant par la seule voye de la parolle, celuy qui la fauce, trahit la societé publique.
Is there any more express cowardice than to go back on one’s word? What, go back on what one knows? Lying is an ugly vice, and one that an ancient paints in most shameful colors when he says that it is giving proof of despising God and at the same time fearing men. It is not possible to represent more fully its horror, its baseness and its disorder. For what can one imagine more vile than to be a coward toward men and bold toward God? Since our mutual understanding is conducted solely by way of speech, he who falsifies it betrays public society.
C’est le seul vtil, par le moyen duquel se communiquent noz volontez et noz pensées: c’est le truchement de nostre ame: s’il nous faut, nous ne nous tenons plus, nous ne nous entrecognoissons plus. S’il nous trompe, il rompt tout nostre commerce, et dissoult toutes les liaisons de nostre police. Certaines nations des nouuelles Indes (on n’a que faire d’en remerquer les noms, ils ne sont plus; car iusques à l’entier abolissement des noms, et ancienne cognoissance des lieux, s’est estendue la desolation de cette conqueste, d’vn merueilleux exemple, et inouy) offroyent à leurs Dieux, du sang humain, mais non autre, que tiré de leur langue, et oreilles, pour expiation du peché de la mensonge, tant ouye que prononcée.
It is the only tool by which our wills and thoughts are communicated; it is the interpreter of our soul. If it fails us, we no longer hold together, we no longer know one another. If it deceives us, it breaks off all our dealings and dissolves all the bonds of our public order. Certain nations of the new Indies—there is no point in recording their names, they no longer exist; for the desolation of that conquest, a marvelous and unheard-of example, has gone as far as the complete abolition of names and of the former knowledge of places—offered their gods human blood, but only such as was drawn from their tongues and ears, in expiation of the sin of lying, whether heard or uttered.
Ce bon compagnon de Grece disoit, que les enfans s’amusent par les osselets, les hommes par les parolles.
That good fellow from Greece used to say that children are beguiled with knucklebones, men with words.
Quant aux diuers vsages de noz desmentirs, et les loix de nostre honneur en cela, et les changemens qu’elles ont reçeu, ie remets à vne autre-fois d’en dire ce que i’en sçay; et apprendray cependant, si ie puis, en quel temps print commencement cette coustume, de si exactement poiser et mesurer les parolles, et d’y attacher nostre honneur: car il est aisé à iuger qu’elle n’estoit pas anciennement entre les Romains et les Grecs. Et m’a semblé souuent nouueau et estrange, de les voir se dementir et s’iniurier, sans entrer pourtant en querelle. Les loix de leur deuoir, prenoient quelque autre voye que les nostres. On appelle Cæsar, tantost voleur, tantost yurongne à sa barbe.
As for the various uses of our giving the lie, the laws of our honor in that matter, and the changes they have undergone, I put off to another time saying what I know of them. Meanwhile I will find out, if I can, at what time this custom began of weighing and measuring words so exactly and attaching our honor to them; for it is easy to judge that it did not exist in ancient times among the Romans and the Greeks. And it has often seemed to me new and strange to see them give each other the lie and insult each other without, for all that, coming to a quarrel. The laws of their duty took some other path than ours. Caesar is called now a thief, now a drunkard, to his face.
Nous voyons la liberté des inuectiues, qu’ils font les vns contre les autres; ie dy les plus grands chefs de guerre, de l’vne et l’autre nation, où les parolles se reuenchent seulement par les parolles, et ne se tirent à autre consequence.
We see the freedom of the invectives they hurl at one another—I mean the greatest war leaders of both nations—where words are answered only by words and lead to no further consequence.